“Come on, lad, stop lying down on the job,” It was Eric offering me a hand up. How the hell was he on his feet already? “Whatever you did was effective. Let's finish the beastie off,”

  I grabbed his hand, and he hauled me to my feet. “Tremor is not just a mining skill. It works with shields,” I said.

  His eyes lit up, “Does it now?” he turned and yelled, “Thran! Get your shield and your scraggly beard over here. You have Tremor, and it works with shields. You are now with me. Ivan, you are with the Commander.” I could see Thran coming as told, but he was not happy. He is not a fighter and does not have a fighting class. I would be sure he would have some basic fighting skills, as all dwarves do, but he was a miner and an administrator. I am sure Eric was taking that into account. Not my problem.

  I moved around to where the Commander was. All the dwarves were switching out for rest periods. This was a long fight, and one of our advantages was our numbers.

  Working with the Commander was interesting. He seemed to have an innate understanding of the flow of the fight. He was leaving the command of the dwarves to Eric, but he directed me where to strike with my Tremor shield, and he followed it up with his hammer. We were very effective, and the ground was starting to be stained with the Troll’s blue blood. This showed we were getting somewhere, as the previous wounds showed the blood would just freeze in place in very short order.

  This was working through the troll's regeneration while keeping its spiritual energy low. It was weird to see that the Commander's hammer would now break bones, but as we watched, they would snap back into place and heal. The Commander and I were working to chop right through an arm before it could heal. We were repeatedly cutting the hide and flesh and breaking the bone, only to watch it heal. I was getting frustrated, but the Commander was calm and persistent.

  We had to monitor our energy usage. If we ran out of stamina and had to retreat, the troll would have a chance to heal. Consistency and persistence were the keys to this fight. I just found it frustrating.

  We were making progress. Only two dwarves were out with broken bones. We may only have another half hour to bleed the troll out, but I may be underestimating again. Sprint, Bash, Tremor, Axe, again. I only have a few more of those in me. I have certainly grown in this skill and learned a new skill called Seismic Smash, but I do not have time to check the details.

  We move again.

  Then overhead, a loud screech echoed and then was suddenly cut off, and I saw Sheila’s body crash into the ground, followed by a loud, anguished cry from Yoboc. I had barely processed that when the Commander shoved me sideways, and a whoosh of air swooped past. A louder screech echoed. It was so loud I was disorientated for a second as I rolled.

  “Fall Back!” was yelled, I think, by Eric.

  When I came to a stop, a massive griffon had landed, and a dwarf was under its claws. I glanced around and saw another griffon lifting off the troll, its claws blue with blood. More griffons were coming in for dive attacks with their lion claws stretched in front and their eagle beaks snapping.

  I rolled to my feet and focused on the griffon that had actually landed near me. Most were dive-attacking the troll and us but then going back up into the air. The dwarves were scattered. The active ones were trying to help those who were injured in the trees.

  I lined up my shield and Sprinted at the one on the ground in front of me. It had the unmoving dwarf in front of it, brought its beak down, and snapped through its thigh, lifting its head to swallow the leg, ripped trousers and boots in all. Blood was spurting out of the stump, which told me he was alive, but he wouldn’t be soon.

  Sprint, Seismic Smash, Axe spike, grab the dwarf and Sprint. The most my axe spike did was remove a feather, but the Commander was behind me with a bigger spike. The griffon still swiped its claws down my back, ripping my armour and hide. I didn’t see what happened after that as I activated Sprint, but I could hear the screech of pain. The Commander's attack distracting the griffon was probably the only reason I was alive.

  I reached the tree line and put a trunk between me and the fight, ripped the shirt off the dwarf and tied it as tight as I could around the stum to stop the bleeding. Guard training includes basic first aid. I haven't got the skill yet, nor have I learned anatomy, but they are teaching me. The Guard class does not require it, but the commander thinks it is essential knowledge. This dwarf would live. I looked and realised it was Titless Thran I had just saved. I hope his contract with the Forgemakers includes paying for the healers to regrow his leg when they get back to civilisation. Not my problem.

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  I looked out at the clearing where the fight was. The troll was ripped and shredded and weakly trying to swipe at the griffons. Its blue blood was splattered everywhere.

  I saw the commander trying to keep the griffon off him as he retreated to the tree line. The trees would not stop the griffons, but at least they hampered the dive attacks. I Sprinted back to help as he had no shield and was trying to defend himself with a war hammer. It wasn’t going so well.

  The griffon saw me coming and swiped at me with a wing. I ducked and slid under it and cut a line with my axe. Several feathers came loose. I achieved my goal of distracting it, but I was sliding close to sharp claws. The griffon rocked from a strike from the commander, and I got my feet under me, my claws digging into the dirt.

  I sprinted to the back of the griffon because I saw no reason to get near that beak. It scared me.

  When I got behind the wing, I jumped onto the griffon's back, driving my axe spike as hard as I could into the fur between the wings. It went into the muscle, and I tossed my shield to the front, thinking the commander would make better use of it.

  The griffon reared up. I think it was trying to buck me off while clawing at the commander. I was not easy to dislodge. I had one hand on the axe embedded in the griffon and the other hand and my feet all digging in with all my claws.

  The griffon's body was covered in lion fur, and the wings, neck, head, and tail were covered in feathers. The fur was tough, like my tough hide, but much better. My claws were barely digging in.

  The griffon screeched and flapped its wings, took a few steps, and launched itself into the air. It struggled to get into the air with my weight on it and it swerved to avoid a tree and some branches were snapped off by its wings.

  It was time to bail on this flight. I pushed myself off before we got too high, and I crashed into the trees, breaking branches on the way to the ground. Ooof. That one didn’t break. I think my ribs did. I guess my axe is going for a fly.

  I looked out to the clearing again. As I watched, a griffon landed on the troll's back, driving it to the ground, and started feasting. Several other griffons landed to get in on this feast.

  There was one dwarven body being torn apart by two griffons, and the rest of us were scattered in the surrounding trees, trying to hide. It was time to get out of here before they finished feeding.

  I wasn’t too far from Titless Thran, so I limped over. Maybe I should call him legless Thran. I grabbed him, hefted him up, and limped toward the base camp. Every breath hurt.

  Other dwarves joined me, or maybe I joined them. Then, the Commander arrived and took charge. I did notice that the Commander was carrying my shield, so it must have been of some help. I couldn’t see Eric or Yoboc anywhere. Everybody had injuries.

  Once the Commander thought we were far enough away, he had us stop and rest while the least injured person ran to camp for help.

  About half an hour later, Eric and Yoboc arrived together. Yoboc was carrying Sheila's body, and he was pretty torn up. I don’t know anything about bonds or how they work, but it seems they go pretty deep.

  Eric was carrying a shirt leaking blood, about the size of a head. I assume it was all that was left of the dwarf, so we could give him a funeral or, however, dwarves say goodbye to their dead. I looked around and figured it was Skathul Deepaxe that died. I didn’t know him well. We shared a watch occasionally.

  Everything had been going roughly to plan, and then everything went to shit. It brought back some bad memories. I am going to have some nightmares over this and the memories it stirred up.

  I don’t know how I survived so long on my own out here. Partly, it is because I avoided big fights, but mostly, I think it was because of luck.

  “Everybody stay put,” the commander said. “I am going to check we are not being followed. Stay under cover or the trees.”

  It would normally be Yoboc’s job to scout but he was a mess at the loss of his bond. He looked absolutely devastated.

  About half an hour later, the help arrived from the camp. Goldie was with them, along with the miners' medic. Goldie went straight to Yoboc while the medic started on the wounded. He wasn't a proper healer. More of a miner with some healing skills.

  I watched Goldie and Yoboc, but I couldn't tell what they were doing. Yoboc looked like he was missing a part of himself. If that is what it does to you, I am not sure I ever want a bond.

  The commander came back shortly thereafter and ordered the return to camp, but to stay under the trees.